The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents on Friday approved a resolution that doesn't sound like it could have emerged from an institution of higher learning.
They ruled student organizations can limit membership to only those who support the group's beliefs, but they can't exclude anyone on the basis of their race, color, creed, religion, etc.
Why did this double talk even get their attention?
The Superior branch of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship last year was denied recognition as a student group for 2006-07 because of one requirement: Its officers had to be Christians. The group subsequently sued University of Wisconsin Superior officials and the UW Board of Regents, contending its First Amendment religious and free speech rights were violated.
In trying to avoid litigation, Regents have made the situation clear as mud and not resolved the disagreement involving InterVarsity. If its officers must be Christian, the group still would violate UW's new policy, even if a non-Christian leader agrees with the group's goals and beliefs.
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The revised language sounds like the handiwork of legal minds bent on collecting a fat retainer no matter the outcome.
Although InterVarsity is the only group to put such a restriction in writing, it's possible other student groups silently enforce similar rules. But that's difficult to prove. So it would seem that those who live by university rules must continue to enforce the provision prohibiting religion-based exclusion, and that includes enforcing it against InterVarsity.
If that's not the case, it will be interesting to see how UW officials justify turning their back on this rule.
